Contact Information: Contacts: Semitool, Inc. Larry Viano Chief Financial Officer 406.752.2107 Pfeiffer High Investor Relations, Inc. Geoff High 303.393.7044 www.pfeifferhigh.com
Semitool Records $71.7 Million in Fourth Quarter Bookings, Orders Up 120% From 2009 Third Quarter
Asia-Based Customers Generate Nearly 63% of Fourth Quarter Orders
| Source: Semitool
KALISPELL, MT--(Marketwire - October 6, 2009) - Semitool, Inc. (NASDAQ : SMTL ) today announced
fourth quarter bookings of $71.7 million. Bookings volume was more than
double the company's fiscal third quarter orders of $32.6 million and
nearly three times its second quarter bookings of $24.6 million. It also
represented the largest sequential bookings increase since Semitool went
public in 1995.
"The investments we have made in our Asian organizations have led to a
substantial expansion of our market share in the region," said Larry
Murphy, president and chief operating officer. "Approximately 63% of our
fourth quarter bookings came from Asia-based customers. The success of our
Asian market strategy has significantly elevated our potential sales
ceiling as we approach the next capital spending cycle."
Management now expects fiscal fourth quarter revenue of between $46 million
and $47 million, up from a previous revenue forecast of between $40 million
and $42 million.
Semitool intends to report consolidated fourth quarter financial results
after the market closes on November 5, 2009. Details related to the
company's fourth quarter conference call and webcast will be presented in a
subsequent news release.
About Semitool, Inc.
Semitool, a leading manufacturer of wafer processing equipment for the
semiconductor industry, designs, manufactures and supports highly
engineered, multi-chamber single-wafer and batch wet chemical processing
equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. The company's
primary suites of equipment include electrochemical deposition systems for
electroplating copper, gold, solder and other metals; and surface
preparation systems for cleaning, stripping and etching silicon wafers. The
company's equipment is used in semiconductor fabrication front-end and
back-end processes, including wafer-level packaging and through-silicon
via. The Company's products also are used in solar cell (PV) production
applications.
Headquartered in Kalispell, Montana, Semitool maintains sales and support
centers in the United States, Europe and Asia. The company's stock trades
on Nasdaq under the symbol SMTL. For more information, please visit the
company's website at www.semitool.com.
Semitool is a registered trademark of Semitool, Inc.
Safe Harbor Statement
The matters discussed in this news release include forward-looking
statements, including statements related to the success of our Asian market
strategy elevating our potential sales ceiling in Asia as we approach the
next capital spending cycle. In addition, the bookings information and
revised guidance on revenue provided above will be supplemented by
comprehensive consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter of
fiscal year 2009 in a news release and conference call expected to occur on
November 5, 2009. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based
on management's assumptions, estimates and projections as of the date
hereof and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are discussed in our
filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including
our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008
and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed thereafter. In addition,
bookings are not necessarily an indication of revenue in any future
financial period. Many factors can adversely affect future financial
performance, including cancellations and push-outs, customers' on-site
acceptance of our products, unanticipated costs, as well as a number of
other risk factors described in our SEC filings referenced above. Our
business in general is subject to risks that can cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements,
including, without limitation, demand being adversely affected by the
cyclicality in the semiconductor industry, delays in acceptance and payment
for shipped tools, the company's ability to timely deliver and support its
products, technological changes that affect our ability to compete, the
risks associated with competing on a global basis and possible volatility
in key markets. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking
statements that become untrue because of subsequent events.